It's Complicated Like Really Complicated
by The Linnet
Summary: 'So he's cute, saves us in the middle of the night, got me home in one piece and totally didn't take advantage and now he's sitting at my table, in my diner and I'm supposed to just grin and take his order. Him and that jailbait he's dragged in with him! I mean who does he think he is! Hugh Hefner' ** Rated M for language and themes later in story.**


_**I shouldn't be starting anything else I know! I've just been needing a sounding board to get through this AWFUL writers block and this happened and it's just... yeah. **_

_**Usual applies - recognise it, not mine, don't, probs mine. **_

This whole night was a bad idea. I didn't want to be getting dolled up and going out with the girls. I wanted to soak my aching, I-just-worked-23-days-without-a-break, body in the tub, order in, watch a good film with a big ol' glass of wine and pretend I was a hermit crab under my duvet for the weekend. I did not, under any circumstances, want to be forcing my swollen feet into 4 inch heels after battling with my hair for well over an hour.

At the sound of Angela's car horn beeping out front, I gave myself one last look over. I was okay. Wasn't like I was out to score or anything. No men were on my 'to do' list currently. Then I slipped my phone into my purse and grabbed my keys from the sideboard. Locking up my flat, I called out a quick 'good night' to Mrs Potts, my sweet but rather meddling elderly neighbour, as she tottered down the hall to her own door.

"Off out, Isabella?" She smiled taking in my LBD and heels.

"Um. Yeah." I shoved my keys in my purse knowing I'd regret that later when they were lost to anyone but Mary Poppins. "Just a girl's night, you know."

"Oh I know." She clucked. "I'll make sure I leave the wireless on. No need to worry about waking me then" And she vanished into her flat. I'm not sure what the old dear was insinuating but I'm pretty sure it wasn't that I'm a noisy drunk. I sighed and thought nothing of it then spent my elevator ride trying to think of reasons not to get into Angela's car.

My time was up when I felt the hard plastic of the bright green Opal '00 Agila. Ben kept telling Ange they needed to upgrade, but she was far too in love with Jimbo to even consider retiring him. He was her first car, and while the poor thing had taken its fair share of bumps and scraps over the years. And the occasional need for detailing after one of us had a few too many. Jessica squealed from the front passenger seat while Lauren shoved her purse on to the floor for me as a climbed into the well-worn motor.

"Ange, I'm not sure how to break this to you." I hesitated getting myself as comfortable as possible between the mayhem in the back of the car.

"What, Bell?" Everyone had gone silent.

"I think Jimbo's more kids plastic crap then car these days." I sighed dramatically. Lauren and Jessica burst out in fits. Clearly they'd been pre drinking at Jessica's again. Angela shook her head giving me a dirty look in the rear view mirror. I stuck my tongue out childishly and watched as her face broke into her own lady like chuckle.

"Don't you think it's time you put the old boy out to pasture?" Lauren muttered as Jimbo groaned when Angela put her foot down a little more once we'd broke free from the town limits. Angela responded by turning the radio up so loud we could no longer hear the grouching of the rust bucket car. Another 10 miles or so down the road, we all wished she hadn't. Jimbo spluttered and coughed and then stopped. We just about made it to the side of the road before he conked out completely. So much for a night out, ladies!

Part of me was over joyed to be stood at the side of a winding road in the middle of nowhere in the chilly night air versus being in a stuffy, loud club that smelt of sweat, sex and hopelessness. Part of me was beating the crap out of another part for even letting me leave the flat tonight. None of us could get any cell reception.

"We're all going to die!" wailed Jessica dropping herself rather dramatically to the floor. I'm pretty sure by her face she regretted that decision the second she made it as she stood back up and spun around to show us her now mud coated behind. Oh we laughed!

After an hour with nothing. No calls. No helpful passers-by, even though a fair few cars had passed us. I took matters into my own hands. The next car that came passed, I was going to make stop. Even if I had to throw myself under it. Desperate times called for desperate measures. And those desperate times where the fact Jessica and Lauren had begun to compare bedroom details. In far too much detail. That dark grey Volvo-jeep-thing that came flying around the corner was more than a welcome sight. I started waving my phone with the flash light on trying to get the car's attention, slowing making my way into the centre of the road. The driver clearly had only just seen me and slammed his breaks on, stopping the metal beast with only 2 inches between the radiator and my knee caps. I let out the breath I was holding.

"Bella! What are you doing?" Angela called out from the side of the road.

"Getting help!"

"Oh well done, Bells. I bet you've just hailed Forks' only serial killer. Thanks." I could practically hear Lauren rolling her eyes at me.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? I could have killed you!" the driver shouted, swinging his car door open and launching himself out. It was dark, but I recognised his face. I was pretty sure at this point we'd be perfectly fine. You see, until his junior year, Edward Cullen had a hero complex. Not really sure what happened after that. He got all weird and shut off. Rumours were that he was whoring girls and selling drugs in Seattle.

"We're damsels in distress." I sighed in a faux romantic kind of way. He raised his eye brow, so I changed the tune. "The car broke down. We can't get any signal." I jabbed my thumb to the side of the road where the girls and Jimbo still stood. He sighed and pulled his phone out of his slacks. His brow furrowed for a second then he put the phone away.

"I'm out of range." He sighed. "So if you lovely ladies would like a lift some place we can get you help, I'd be more than happy to oblige." He gestured to his rather swank vehicle and the girls jumped to their feet, all talk of last night's bedroom athletics forgotten. For now.

"I'm not sure I'd mind if he kills us." Jessica mused aloud as she wandered over. I shook my head and followed them to the car. The three married ladies in the group and squeezed themselves into the back seat leaving little old single me to sit up front with our grouchy saviour. That wasn't planned. Especially when I saw Lauren reach for the front door only to be pulled into the back by Ange.

We drove in silence for 10 or 15 minutes before the girls started whispering. I couldn't hear most of what they were saying but there was lot of 'I'm sure's and 'can't be's. I kept spinning my head to try and catch whatever they were talking about but they all shut up pretty sharpish. Edward, I noticed, didn't pay them any attention.

"So," he finally said. "I'm Edward."

"We know." Piped up Jessica. Edward looked a little shocked. Clearly the years had been worse on us all than we had thought.

"We used to hang around with Alice." Angela quietly filled in. I noted the tightening in his jaw.

"I'm sorry. I don't really remember any of Al's friends." He muttered.

"That's fine!" Jessica trilled. "I'm Jess." Woah! Back up cowgirl! Jessica got married three months ago and was already dusting her on the game alter ego off! Lauren clearly had the same thoughts as me but as she opened her mouth, Angela stepped in.

"Angela. You played football with my husband, Ben."

"Ben Cheney?"

"The very same." Ange smiled.

"Good man. I imagine you've got your own football team now, if he's had his way." Edward's laugh was rich and sweet.

"On our way!" Angela laughed. "4 girls, currently." And that was how Angela Cheney announced baby number 5.

"Lauren." There was a hint of anger to Lauren's usually bored voice. She had reason, I guess. "We fooled around before you got all one woman show with Andrea." Edward's whole body tensed. Apparently that was a raw nerve.

"It was a long time ago." He said stiffly. Then he twisted his neck slightly to throw me a quick glance. "And whatever is the name of the brave jaywalker?"

"Bella."

"Bella." He seemed to be testing my name. Like he was trying to find a memory or something.

Not long after, we pulled into the car park of a small night club. It wasn't the one the girls had had planned, but it was slightly preferable to that anyway. At least there wasn't a queue outside the door.

"Thanks for this," I said twisting my legs out of the car. This dress was a little too short for a car like this. And, hell, he didn't remember me! I wanted to be the lady for once! There it was though. My foot didn't find the floor but my face sure did.

"Shit!" He cussed. "Bella, are you okay?" Somehow he'd got to my side of the car without me noticing. I pulled myself up onto my knees and rubbed my fore head. It hurt but it wasn't anything I hadn't done before.

"I'll be fine." These shoes were straight in the bin when I got home. Along with my traitor friends who'd already swanned off into the bar.

"Here let me look." I didn't move my hand. "I'm a doctor." I sighed and dropped my hand. He studied the egg forming on my head, flashed a pocket torch he'd fished out of the glove box in my eyes and sat me back on the car seat sideways before holding up three fingers on his left hand like a boy scout. "How many?"

"Three." He took one down. "Two." This time he held his hand open. "Four" he frowned "and a thumb." He chuckled. "You should totally buy me a drink for having such a dangerous vehicle."

"I think you should be buying me the drink." He smiled, hooking his arm around my waist to stop me face planting the concrete again. "After all – I did rescue you from certain death tonight."

An hour later, and maybe a few too many 'sex on the beach's, I found myself still chatting away to our saviour in the grey Volvo. The girls had danced and flirted some, Ange harmlessly smiling sweetly and declining either a drink or a dance (or whatever other sordid offers she may have received). Jessica was beyond drunk when I noticed Angela coming over to us at the bar.

"Hey." She smiled weakly. "We're just about ready to call a cab I think. Ben said he'd look at Jim tomorrow for me." I looked behind my tall friend to see the pretty mousey girl leaning on our cheer captain buddy. Jessica's hair was dishevelled, her dress wonky and her lipstick smeared. Lauren looked thrilled to be playing Pro. Leaning Post.

"Oh right. I'll just be a min-"

"I can sort Bella home." Edward offered with a sweet smile. "Swear I'm not a mass murderer or some kind of weirdo or anything." He held his hands up in mock surrender.

Angela was thinking about it. She was the only mother in our small group and that meant she mothered us too. Not that she hadn't always. But it was worse after the girls. Apparently she decided to agree as she shrugged and made her way back to the hot mess that was Jessica, shaking her head as she went.

"So" I said taking another sip of my drink.

"So." Edward repeated. "All alone now, eh?"

"Mmm" I mumbled. "You're different." He looked confused. "Last time I saw you was just before you graduated. Frankly, you looked like shit."

"Thanks!" He laughed. "I hope I look at least a little better now?"

"Of course!" shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Why did I say that? "I mean…. Well you do look better now but well…"

"I wasn't in the best of places then. I get it" He looked down at the drink in his hand. The conversation seemed to lull.

"What is it you do now, Ed?"

"Ed?" He raised an eyebrow at me again. God he was gorgeous.

"I'm drunk. I can't comprehend 'Edward'" I giggled.

"Ah. But you can comprehend 'comprehend'?" I laughed harder. "I'm actually a doctor now."

"Oh! Like your dad?" he nodded.

"Dad's in Orthopaedic Surgeon. I work with the NICU." He finished his drink in one big glup and gestured if I'd like another. I nodded pushing my empty glass back into the bar.

"I bet that's hard." I gratefully took the tall glass the bar tender held out to me. "Seeing all those sick babies." He shuddered.

"It is." He agreed. "But I watched some complete miracles happen there. On rotation. Just knew it's where I had to be." He fiddled with his watch strap before taking a swig of his cola. "What about you?"

"Still a waitress." I smiled. I wasn't really happy about it, but the diner gave my hope that one day I would open the doors to my own little store. "I want to open a bookstore though."

"You should get in touch with Alice over that."

"Oh?"

"Crazy Chick owns a few 'boutiques'." He laughed. 'Crazy' was a very polite way to describe my old friend. She was a complete nutter. But she was the best friend I'd ever had.

"Well I'll have to give her a call, when the time comes!"

We spent the night chatting and dancing, me with a cocktail in hand and Edward with his cola. I was actually enjoying myself, even though my feet were killing me and I knew I had a nice big bruise on my head. Edward seemed to be enjoying himself too. He laughed and smiled until the bartender called last orders.

"I better get you back home safe." I was vaguely aware of my head nodding and a big, most likely, dopey grin on my face as he took my hand and led my sufficiently drunk person back out to his grey Volvo.

We drove in a comfortable silence. Or somewhat silence – I kept giggling. At what, I'm not really sure. Only speaking when we hit the boarders of Forks to swap addresses. Or rather him asking where he needed to take me and me just about attempting to remember my address. I then had to shamefully admit I couldn't remember even though I'd lived there for 10 years. So I had to do an elaborate mime of what the buildings around mine looked like.

"Blockbusters! I live across from Blockbusters!" I smiled, pretty darned chuffed with myself for finally remembering. Edward chuckled.

"You know Blockbusters hasn't been there in years." He smiled. "It was long gone before I left Forks." Sober me would have been pretty damned humiliated by now. Drunk me just gave him what I hoped was a flirty smile but I knew for a fact would have been a lop-sided grin.

At some point we must have pulled up outside the apartment building me and my nosy neighbour, Mrs Potts, lived in, because Edward was leaning over me to unbuckle my seat belt. I fell forward into his neck and giggled. He smelt lush. Kind of sweet with a hint of 'warm man' smell. I nuzzled into his neck and felt him briefly stiffen – not that drunk me paid him any attention.

I would have face planted the floor again, a number of times, if it hadn't been for Mr Hero-in-training Cullen wrapping his arm around me and guiding me to the door. I was then vaguely aware of him asking for my keys – I giggled at him – before he fished them out of my purse himself and unlocked the main door.

He didn't ask the number, just half carried and half dragged me to the elevator and beeped the 3rd floor button. I gave him a funny look and he made some offhand remark over the buzzer sign on the door. Good enough for me I guess! And I buried my face back into his sweet smelling neck.

He actually did carry me the last however many yards down my corridor and to the chipped blue door that belong to my lousy flat. He dropped me down over the threshold and started going on about how he'd had a great night or something and then handed me a scrap of paper. As he leaned over to give it to me though, I had a bright idea. I'd kiss him! But alas as my lips touched his incredibly soft face pillows, my mind went blank.


End file.
